Stitch-length indicators for sewing machines



Nov; 15, 1955 MAT ZAS 2,723,635

STITCH-LENGTH INDICATORS FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed June 15, 1954 0 Anthony J. Matuzas WITNESS W7 W BY Law/AWL ATTORNEY atent Uflice 2,723,635 Patented Nov. 15, 1955 STITCH-LENGTH INDICATORS FOR SEWING MACHINES Application June 15, 1954, Serial No. 436,775

4 Claims. (Cl. 112-210) The present invention relates to sewing machines and has for a primary object to facilitate manual adjustment of the feeding mechanisms, which object has been herein accomplished by the provision of an indicator that will make more readily ascertainable the specific stitch-length setting thereof.

Having in mind the above and other objects that will be evident from an understanding of this disclosure, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts as illustrated in the presently preferred embodiment of the invention which is hereinafter set forth in such detail as to enable those skilled in the art readily to understand the function, operation, construction and advantages of it when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation view of a standard end of a sewing machine in which the present invention has been incorporated.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section view transversely of the standard of the sewing machine illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

With reference to the drawings there is illustrated a sewing machine having a frame comprising a bed 1, a standard 2 and a bracket-arm 3. The illustrated machine includes a stitching mechanism and a feeding mechanism, which may be of any conventional design, for example, as illustrated in the U. S. Patent of Peets, No. 2,617,375, and the patent of Palme et al., No. 2,682,242. Reference is made to these disclosures for a more complete description of the machine and particularly the feeding mechanism which is herein described only insofar as is necessary to obtain a full understanding of the present invention.

Journaled longitudinally of the bracket-arm 3 is a mainshaft 4 that extends through the frame in the usual fashion and has mounted upon the exposed end a handwheel 5. Secured on the shaft 4 by a set-screw 6 is an eccentric 7 having a pair of eccentric surfaces 8 and 9. Embracing the eccentric surface 8 is the strap-like upper end of a feed-lift actuating pitman 10 arranged vertically in the standard 2, which pitman is adapted to impart feedlift movements to a lower four-motion feeding mechanism, such as set forth in the above-noted disclosures. There is provided a feed-advance actuating pitman 11 also arranged vertically in the standard 2 and having a fork 12 formed upon the upper end thereof, which fork embraces the eccentric surface 9. It will be understood that in the usual manner it is the longitudinal movement iniparted to the pitman 11 that is converted to feed-advance movements which determine the stitch length. Oscillation imparted to the pitman 11 by the eccentric surface 9 is converted to longitudinal movements, which are variable to provide for adjustment of the stitch length, by conventional mechanism comprising a feed-advance adjustment block 13 pivoted to a transverse wall 14 internally of the standard 2 by means of a horizontal pivotscrew 15 having a smooth portion 16 extending loosely through an appropriate bore formed in the wall 14 and having a threaded portion 17 threaded into the block 13. A spring washer 18 is disposed between the head 19 of the pivot-screw 15 and the adjacent face of the wall 14 to generate a friction resistance to pivotal movement of the block 13. A channel 20 is formed in the block 13 and disposed within this channel is a slide 21 that is loosely mounted upon the smooth end portion 22 of a stud 23 that also includes a threaded portion 24 threaded through the pitman 11. In the usual manner, as the pitman 11 is oscillated by the eccentric 7, it will be reciprocated longitudinally by cooperation of the slide 21 with the channel 20. The amount of reciprocation imparted to the pitman 11 and thus the stitch length is determined by the angular setting of the block 13 and thus the channel 20.

To vary the angular position of the block 13 there is provided a lever 25 having threads substantially throughout its length and threaded into a bore 26 in the block. The lever 25 extends through a slot 27 formed in the front face of the standard 2. In the usual manner the slot 27 is closed by a plate 28 secured to the standard 2 by screws 29. The plate 28 has formed therein a slot 30 through which the lever 25 extends and has suitable indicia thereon, as seen in Fig. l, to indicate the setting of the lever 25 and thus the stitch-length setting. A stopnut 31 is threaded onto the end of the lever 25, which stop-nut cooperates with the side-walls of the slot 30 to limit the adjustment of the lever 25 in the usual manner.

It will, of course, be apparent that only slight increments of motion about the center portion of the are through which the lever 25 swings will vary greatly the number of stitches of the stop-nut 31 relative to the indicia on the plate 28 makes it difficult to accurately determine the stitch length setting. In accordance with the present invention there is provided an indicator which comprises a rod 32 projecting from the block 13 generally in a direction parallel to the lever 25. A sleeve 33 telescopically receives the rod 32 and has formed upon the outer end thereof a cap 34 having an axially arranged projection 35 that extends through a slot 36 in the plate 28 parallel to the slot 30. The projection 35 is of substantially reduced diameter and by its size Will serve to clearly indicate the stitchlength setting. A spiral spring 37 surrounds the sleeve 33 and rod 32, which spring bears at one end against the block 13 and at the other end against the shoulder at the cap 34 whereby the sleeve 33 is urged outwardly of the rod 32 and thus the cap is resiliently maintained in contact with the inner face of the plate 28 with the projection 35 extending through the slot 36. Because of the spring biased telescopic arrangement of the rod 32 and sleeve 33, the cap 34 will remain in contact with the inner face of the plate 28 as the block 13 is pivoted by the lever 25, and the projection 35 will remain in the slot 36. The indicia on the plate 28 which indicates the feed-advance or stitch length setting in stitches per inch is related to the projection 35 whereby the projection will serve as an indicator or pointer.

From the above, it will be seen that there has been provided an indicator that will facilitate accurate determination of the stitch length setting due to the fact that the projection 35 is quite small relative to the indicia. It is also contemplated that the projection 35 will be painted a color contrasting to the color of the plate 28, for example, the projection may be red and the plate black.

Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to a preferred embodiment of my invention which per inch. Further, the physical size isrfOr: purposes; ofiillustrationonly andnot to be construed as a limitation of the invention All such mod ifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims Having 3 thus; described the nature; of; theinvention,- wlrat Irclaim herein is: a

1. In a-sewing.-;machine: havingafrarne, adjustable." feed-advancezmech-anism including afeedsadvance adjust:

ment: member pivoted. to said frame,- the-pivotal. 11307161 merit pfsaid membenefieeting' an. adjustment of said Iced-- advance; mechanism to vary the feed-stroke, an opening in.-rsaid..frame--adjacent said member; a plate for closing;

said opening; said platehaving-two parallel-arranged slots, means, for pivoting-1 saidmember comprisingrav lever, ex,-

tending; through. arfirsti one. of:- said stots, and means for,-

pivoting; said. member comprising. a lever extending. througha slotin said frame, andmeans for. indicating.

thersetting of said lever; comprising. an; element telescopis cally carried; by said member; aprojection carried by said element and. extending into; a slotvin said frame; indicia carried by said .frameand cooperating. with said projection to indicate the setting of. said feed-advance mechanism, and meansfor-maintainingsaid element in engagementwith, the inner surface of saidframe and with thepmjection maintained in said slot; saidmeans comprising resilient means for biasing said element outwardly of said member and means for limiting the outward movement thereof.

3. In a sewing machine having a frame, feed-advance mechanism comprisinga feed eccentric journaled in said frame, a pitman having a fork embracing said eccentric, a slide carried by said pitman, a block pivoted to said frame on an axis parallel to the axis of said eccentric and having a channel receiving said block, said frame having an opening therein adjacent'saidblock, a plate for closing said opening, said plate having twoparallel-arranged slots, means for pivotinggsaidnblock comprising a lever extending through a first one of'said slots, and means for indicating the setting of; said. lever comprising: 3.119.816: ment telescopically carried by'said block; aprojection carried by said element and extending into-the--other of said slots, and means for, maintaining said element in engagement with the inner surface of said plate comprising resiiient meansforbiasing saicl'element outwardly of said block and means for limiting the outward movement thereof.

4; In a: sewing machine having mframe; feed-advance mechanism comprising .afeed. eccentric, journaledzin saidx frame, a pjtman having afork embracingsaid. eccentricg. a slide carried by saidv pitman, azblocki pivoted to said;= frame on an .axis parallelto the. axis ofzsaid eccentric and having a channel receiving said block, meansufon pivot-1 ing said block comprisinga levenextendingthrough said frame, a slot in said frameto provide for pivotal move ment of said lever, and means tfor'indicating the-setting; of. said lever comprisinga-first'element carriedrby-said. block anda:second.elementitelescoping therewith, means. for resiliently biasing said-second elementontwardlyof: said first .eiement, ayprojection; carried bysaid' second Clea ment, said. frame:having-;az second slot arrangedvparallel. to said first-mentioned, slot to'receive;saidzprojectiomand' to provide for movement of the-same upon. pivotal mover. rnent'of-said block.

References Citedrin the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1.397.071 Becker Nov. 15; 1921 2,258,487 Garwin er al Oct;'7,1941 2,430,207 Best Nov. 4.1947 

